21 Down...59 To Go

So Friday is Black Friday, and if you read my earlier blog, you already know that I'm not participating. You might have noticed that I'm more interested in the ECU football game that day. What I didn't mention is that Friday is also our 21st wedding anniversary. And yes, we are celebrating by attending a football game. There won't be any romantic little boxes waiting for me. That's really not our thing. But, I bet I can talk him into buying me a new sweatshirt.

I read this article yesterday on the ABC news site - John and Ann Betar Celebrate 80th Wedding Anniversary. It's a wonderful story about love and staying in love, and it's a story I see when I visit my parents, and one I get to experience every day in my own life. I've been blessed by having this man in my life. After 21 years, I can say that I am married to my best friend, and my life is better with him than it ever would have been without him. I'm not sure why I've been so blessed. I know better people than me who are alone, and I know better people than me who have had horrible marriages. We've definitely had our ups and downs, and we've experienced the loss of loved ones, job loss, moves, mean people, health scares - in other words - life. But we've always managed to pull together as a team.

Now, I don't want to completely sugar coat it. There are times that the immortal words of that wonderful bard, Pink, have come to mind:
"Go away, 
 Give me a chance to miss you,
 Say goodbye,
 It'll make me want to kiss you." 
"Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" - "I'm Not Dead" album

I mean, let's get real. I bet Cinderella started getting irritated by Prince Charming's inability hang up his sash and medals not long after the wedding. And I'm sure her inability to keep from losing expensive shoes was a bummer. Marriage is hard. Compromise, negotiations, snoring, bills, mouthwash....

But at the end of the day to be able to laugh with someone you love, whether over today or over the awful photographer at your wedding, it makes it all worth while. I'm not much of one to give unsolicited advice except to my teenagers, and they don't usually hear me anyway, but if I were to give one piece of advice it isn't to never go to bed angry. Nope, my one piece of advice would be to find a way to laugh at it. A good sense of humor - now that REALLY helps in staying married.

Daddy and Momma have been married for 57 years. His memory is fading, but he still can laugh and he can still make Momma laugh. She was complaining about someone who was voting for the "wrong" candidate. Daddy asked how old this person was. When Momma answered, "90." He quickly replied, "Don't worry about it. She doesn't have many more elections to go against you. You're younger."

Yep, laughter...I can live with that.

Random, Random, Random

So I got up at 5:00 this morning to write my blog. All excited, I already knew what I was gonna write about (which does not always happen). What is that saying about "best laid plans"? Yep, the one by Robert Burns about going astray. First, I couldn't remember the password to the blog. Not unusual, I mean there's only 50 million passwords anymore, but sadly apparently my cheat sheet was wrong, too. Then I couldn't get the email to show up allowing me back in (and yes, I kept checking my spam filter.) The day was going downhill fast and normally it's sorta nice if the sun rises first before that happens. To add insult to injury it's not like I could turn into the sound and fury when nobody else was awake yet except the cat. So finally I finesse my way in (oh, ok, I hit a back button and the sonofa...err, pc filled in a correct password which incidentally, I STILL don't know what it really is), and I start writing.


That's when I realize that I have an essay and not a blog on my hands. The good is that I needed something for November's issue of 4gaby.com. The bad is - now I need a topic for the freakin' blog.


So with that said - here's a blog on nothing but random observations that I hope will make you smile or laugh. Please feel free to add to the list!


Colin Firth - yummmm


Mocha coffees - almost as yummy as Colin, more necessary and available in the morning.


Sense of humor - completely necessary when dealing with technology, conference realignment or car pool.


Conference realignment - led by men, and they say women are indecisive???


Politicians - the ultimate comedians.


Teenagers - so much smarter than me, I'll never be able to catch up.


Fall - beautiful until you realize how many deciduous trees are in your yard.


Grounding a teenager - necessary when those trees start losing their leaves. Somebody's gotta clean 'em up, and you can always find something a teenager shouldn't have done.


Twitter - full of twits and some really funny people. But I don't follow you back if you tweet in a foreign language. I can barely translate my teens.


Pink Floyd - new only to my teens.


Reality TV - what?? Don't y'all have your own families to look at? If not, then just go to Wal Mart - multitasking, ya know.


Mother's Little Helper - now I understand.


Y'all got anymore??